orworldbuilding

Orworldbuilding is not a widely established term in scholarly or popular discourse. In many contexts, it appears to be either a typographical variant of worldbuilding or a label used by a particular writer or online community for a project. Worldbuilding, more generally, is the practice of creating a fictional universe with its own geography, history, cultures, technologies, and rules, sufficient to support stories, games, or simulations.

Effective worldbuilding involves identifying core systems and maintaining internal consistency. Common elements include setting and geography; history and timelines; social structures, cultures, languages, and beliefs; technology or magic; politics and religion; and economics and daily life. Writers and designers use methods such as world bibles, timelines, maps, and lexicons to organize detail, and may work solo or collaboratively using shared documents or wikis.

Because orworldbuilding is not a standard term, meaning is usually derived from context. If you encounter it, consider whether it is a misspelling, a project name, or an attempt to describe worldbuilding with a particular focus. Verifying by examining the source or searching for related terms can clarify intent.

See also: Worldbuilding; Collaborative worldbuilding; Writing and gaming world design.